Jeremiah 43:1-11

1 When Jeremiah had finished telling the people all the words of the LORD their God—everything the LORD had sent him to tell them—

2 Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, “You are lying! The LORD our God has not sent you to say, ‘You must not go to Egypt to settle there.’

3 But Baruch son of Neriah is inciting you against us to hand us over to the Babylonians,^[a] so they may kill us or carry us into exile to Babylon.”

4 So Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers and all the people disobeyed the LORD’s command to stay in the land of Judah.

5 Instead, Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers led away all the remnant of Judah who had come back to live in the land of Judah from all the nations where they had been scattered.

6 They also led away all those whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had left with Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan—the men, the women, the children and the king’s daughters. And they took Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah along with them.

7 So they entered Egypt in disobedience to the LORD and went as far as Tahpanhes.

8 In Tahpanhes the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:

9 “While the Jews are watching, take some large stones with you and bury them in clay in the brick pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh’s palace in Tahpanhes.

10 Then say to them, ‘This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will set his throne over these stones I have buried here; he will spread his royal canopy above them.

11 He will come and attack Egypt, bringing death to those destined for death, captivity to those destined for captivity, and the sword to those destined for the sword.

Jeremiah 43:1-11 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 43

This chapter contains the answer of the princes and people to the prophet's message; a relation of their going into Egypt; and a prophecy of the destruction of that land. The persons that gave the answer are described, some by name, and all by their character; and the time of their giving it is mentioned, in which they charge the prophet with a falsehood; impute the whole to an instigation of Baruch, and an ill design of his, and so were disobedient to the command of God, Jer 43:1-4; and went into Egypt, and carried all with them, of every rank, age, and sex, and even Baruch, and the prophet too, and came to Tahpanhes, the seat of the kings of Egypt, Jer 43:5-7; upon this a prophecy is delivered out, concerning the destruction of that country, which is signified by a symbol explained; the person, the instrument of it, is mentioned by name, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; the devastation he should make is expressed by slaying with the sword, and carrying into captivity; by burning the temples of their gods, and breaking their images in pieces, Jer 43:8-13.

Cross References

• 1. Jeremiah 26:8; Jeremiah 42:9-22
• 2. S Jeremiah 41:16
• 3. Jeremiah 40:16; Jeremiah 42:1
• 4. S Nehemiah 9:29; 1 Corinthians 4:18-21
• 5. S Genesis 19:14; S Deuteronomy 13:3; Romans 9:1; 2 Corinthians 11:31; 1 Timothy 2:7
• 6. S Exodus 24:7; 2 Kings 25:24; Jeremiah 18:19; S Jeremiah 42:19; Ezekiel 37:14
• 7. S Jeremiah 32:12
• 8. Jeremiah 38:4; Jeremiah 41:18; Jeremiah 52:30
• 9. S Jeremiah 41:16
• 10. 2 Chronicles 25:16; Jeremiah 42:5-6
• 11. Jeremiah 42:10
• 12. Jeremiah 40:12
• 13. S Jeremiah 6:12
• 14. S Jeremiah 32:12
• 15. S 2 Kings 25:26
• 16. Jeremiah 2:16; Jeremiah 44:1; Jeremiah 46:14; Ezekiel 30:18
• 17. Psalms 139:7; Jeremiah 2:16
• 18. Genesis 31:45-53; Joshua 4:1-7; 1 Kings 18:31-32
• 19. S Genesis 11:3
• 20. S Genesis 47:14
• 21. Isaiah 44:28; Isaiah 45:1; Jeremiah 25:9; Jeremiah 27:6
• 22. Jeremiah 46:13
• 23. Jeremiah 49:38
• 24. S Psalms 18:11
• 25. Jeremiah 46:13-26; Ezekiel 29:19-20
• 26. S Proverbs 11:19; Romans 6:23
• 27. S Psalms 49:14; Hebrews 9:27
• 28. S Deuteronomy 28:64; Revelation 13:10
• 29. S Jeremiah 15:2; Jeremiah 44:13; Ezekiel 32:11; Zechariah 11:9

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "Chaldeans"